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Multnomah County Library To Re-Open Mondays

The state’s most heavily-used library system will re-open for Monday hours this week.

Last year, the Multnomah County library cut back hours in response to long-term funding shortfalls. The cutbacks included shuttering libraries all day on Mondays. But voters approved an independent library district last fall, with revenues separate from the county budget. So the Library’s Director, Vailey Oehlke, says the doors are back open.

Kristin Beadle/Multnomah County Library

“Many people have been working for literally decades to find a stable funding system for this very heavily-used library system. That all came to fruition last November. We’re able to reopen on Mondays, and add additional hours through the rest of the week.”

Kristin Beadle/Multnomah County Library

Oehlke says she knows the public was not happy with the reduction in hours, so re-opening was a priority. The money will also be used to beef up items in circulation - more best sellers and digital content.

The libraries will celebrate with a Monday event, featuring poet Kim Stafford reading something he wrote for the occasion.